Convertible plush toy with storage

ABSTRACT

A convertible plush toy can convert between two interconnected reversible shapes. The first shape is that of a plush buddy, such as a teddy bear, that may be reversed into a second, ball shape. The construction and relationship of the ball form to the teddy bear abdomen creates a hidden hollow storage compartment within the plush buddy. The ball size, the abdomen measurements and construction, and the shared opening are designed in such a way to allow the internalized form to support the externalized form, while providing enough independence to avoid distortion of the externalized shape. The ball configuration can be designed in a semi-rigid form, such as with an external plush, internal batting and inner lining, so that the ball retains its shape when externalized and also provides definition to the storage space when internalized.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/147,554, filed Jan. 5, 2014, currently pending, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/850,217, filed Mar. 25, 2013, abandoned, which claims the benefit of priority of U.S. provisional application No. 61/615,009, filed Mar. 23, 2012, the contents of each of which are herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to toys and, more particularly, to toys that can be altered between two different shapes that results in a toy having three distinct purposes.

Plush toys have long been enjoyed by children of all ages. The worth of such a toy often extends beyond its ability to entertain and frequently becomes a source of comfort and safety—in other words, a buddy. Balls of all sizes and shapes are likely to have been one of man's earliest toy forms and one cannot imagine how different human culture would appear without this simplest of toy.

While there are multitudes of forms for plush toys and hundreds of different types of balls, there has been no toy that has successfully combined the intrinsic value of the plush buddy with the extrinsic functions of a toy ball and an article for storage and transport of small items.

There is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,328,399 a changeable toy article that is transformable from one shape associated with a sporting activity to a second shape associated with the same sporting activity. The objects are intended to provide fans with means of supporting their team through use of the shapes. The design is such that the shapes are distinct and not sufficiently similar in shape to allow a common portion of the object to form both shapes (i.e., they are not reversible, but rather one shape must be completely exposed, then simply tucks into the other and vice versa).

U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,938 discloses a device with a design in which a toy is manipulated through an aperture to reveal a second spherical shape. The specific intent of the design is to provide an educational toy in which an animal shape can be replaced with a globe shape marked by the geographical habitat of the animal.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,695,264 discloses a convertible stuffed figure in which one figure is reversed upon itself to reveal a second figure. The concept described is that of two figures that are strategically attached to allow inversion of one figure into the other during the reversal process.

As can be seen, there is a need for a plush toy with two, interconnected reversible shapes, the first shape being that of a toy buddy that may be reversed into a second, ball shape, where the toy buddy is designed to create an internal storage compartment hidden therewithin.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention, a toy comprises an invertible body movable between a first animal configuration and a second ball configuration; and an enclosed space formed in an abdomen region when the invertible body is in the first animal configuration.

In another aspect of the present invention, a toy comprises an invertible body movable between a first animal configuration and a second ball configuration; an opening formed in the invertible body, the opening having first and second edges that are operable to be secured together when the body is in either the first animal configuration or the second ball configuration to close the opening; and an enclosed space, defined by the outer surface of the toy in the second ball configuration, in an abdomen region when the invertible body is in the first animal configuration.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a convertible plush toy, in a ball configuration, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side perspective view of the convertible plush toy of FIG. 1, illustrating an initial transition from the ball configuration to a bear configuration;

FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the convertible plush toy of FIG. 1 in the bear configuration;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the convertible plush toy of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of the convertible plush toy of FIG. 1 in transition from the ball configuration to the bear configuration;

FIG. 6 is a side perspective view showing further transformation from the ball configuration to the bear configuration;

FIG. 7 is a side perspective view showing even further transition from the ball configuration to the bear configuration;

FIG. 8 is a side perspective view of the bear configuration, illustrating a hidden, enclosed space formed therewithin; and

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the bear configuration, illustrating a ball configuration shape and color, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention provides a convertible plush toy that can convert between two interconnected reversible shapes. The first shape is that of a plush buddy, such as a teddy bear, that may be reversed into a second, ball shape. The construction and relationship of the ball form to the teddy bear abdomen creates a hidden hollow storage compartment within the plush buddy. The ball size, the abdomen measurements and the shared opening are designed in such a way to allow the internalized form to support the externalized form, while providing enough independence to avoid distortion of the externalized shape. Minimizing distortion of the external shapes while allowing for an easy conversion between shapes is a challenge that prior art have failed to successfully overcome. In our embodiment, we overcome these design weaknesses via several unique means involving the construction of the buddy abdomen. First, the anterior portion of the abdomen of the buddy may contain a contained, spherical shape, stuffing compartment. This stuffing-filled compartment serves the dual purposes of providing support to the body of the buddy form as well as contributing to the spherical shape of the ball form. Second, the side panels of the buddy abdomen are strategically sewn into said stuffing-filled anterior abdomen compartment. The resulting seams between the side panels of the buddy and the stuffing-filled anterior compartment provide a hinge by which the conversion from buddy to ball form is accomplished with ease. Importantly, this “seam hinge” also allows the side panels to define both the hidden storage space (when in the buddy form) as well as a suitable space for the buddy form to tuck into upon converting to the ball form.

Embodiments of the present invention are drawn to an object that can assume a completely different shape than the original shape however, the two shapes are intimately related to create third component, of a hollow space that functions as a storage unit when in the buddy form and functions as a compartment to tuck the buddy into when in the ball form . In particular, and as an example of the present invention, a spherical or ball shape can be inverted to form an abdomen and storage area of the second shape, in this example, a teddy bear.

Embodiments of the present invention include an object made from a cloth like material which is the form of a ball (whether it be spherical or elliptical, for example), such that it forms any convex shape that makes up all balls. The convex ball shape, cloth like material has an opening which provides access to the second configuration, an animal which is attached to the first configuration and stored inside and, thus, is used to create the form of the ball. By removing the stuffing/form from the first configuration (ball) through an aperture, common to both configurations, the second configuration (animal) is formed and the ball convexity is now internalized within the animal's abdomen, lining the internal storage compartment defined by the abdomen side panels and posterior aspect of the stuffing-filled anterior compartment. When the first material has been inverted into the second material, through the opening, the second material completely surrounds the first material, making the first object/original object unidentifiable, but necessary to create the second configuration, not just stored within. The conversion of these two different shapes and creation of a third shape, hollow concavity, can occur indefinitely.

To return from the second configuration, with the hollow storage space, back to its original ball shape, the abdomen, head and appendages are inverted in the same manner as was the first shape/configuration. The stuffing that has been confined into a spherical section making up the front of the abdomen, is essentially pushed toward the periphery of the ball form with the side panels flipping forward on the “seam hinge”. Importantly, the act of flipping the side panels forward at the “seam hinge” accomplishes three functions that are critical to the easy conversion from animal to ball form: 1. Externalizes the ball form, 2. Moves the anterior stuffing-filled abdomen compartment posteriorly to form half of the ball form, and 3. Creates a hollow space into which the buddy can be tucked, allowing an easy closure of the opening.

Unlike the other convertible toys where each shape are merely stored inside each other this purposeful intimate connection, created by the present invention, between these two spaces creates an actual hollow storage area that can be used to store third party items, such as gaming devices, music devices, action figures, and the like. Additionally, no other convertible toy utilizes the present design of confining the stuffing to a specific compartment that will contribute to the shape of both forms, rather prior art assumes that the fabric material of the internalized shape will be sufficient to maintain the form of the externalized form. And, importantly for the commercial viability of the design, no other convertible toy utilizes a “seam hinge” to accomplish a smooth and easy transition that will allow even very young children to convert the animal form into a ball form.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 through 8, a convertible plush toy is adapted to be to be manipulated between two configurations, with the creation of an internal compartment by the external configuration. The convertible plush toy is in form of a ball when the first configuration, as shown in FIG. 1, and in the form of a teddy bear when in the second configuration, as shown in FIG. 4. It is understood, however, that the teddy bear of FIG. 4 is illustrative of any number of different configurations that plush toy may assume.

In the illustrated embodiment, when the plush toy is in the first configuration as represented in FIG. 1, an outer surface 22 of the convertible plush toy is an exposed fabric having the shape of a ball. The exposed fabric forming outer surface 22 may include a number of panels that are stitched or otherwise secured together, or alternatively may be a one-piece member. The outer surface 22 defines facing edges 24, 26 that are joined together at spaced apart ends 27, between which an opening 28 is formed. The edges 24, 26 are fitted with a suitable closure structure between the ends 27, which representatively may be in the form of a zipper, hook and loop strips, snaps, buttons, or the like. In this manner, when the plush toy is in the first configuration, the opening 28 can be closed so that the ball configuration has a continuous, uninterrupted outer surface.

In the first configuration of FIG. 1, the interior of convertible plush toy is occupied by a compressible structure as noted in FIG. 2 which, when exposed, enables the convertible plush toy to assume the alternate configuration. As shown in FIG. 4 and as noted above, the alternate configuration may define an outer surface 30 in the form of a teddy bear or other character. It is understood, however, that the alternate configuration may have any desired shape and is not limited to animal or character shapes. In the case of a teddy bear shape as shown in FIG. 4, the outer surface 30 forming the animal-type alternate configuration may have a head 32, arms 34 and legs 36. These features of the convertible plush toy can be compressed and tucked into the interior compartment of plush toy when in the first configuration of FIG. 1, which is illustrated in FIG. 2. In the ball form, illustrated in FIG. 2, the internalized form of the buddy abdomen, with its contained stuffing-filled compartment 22B has been pushed to the periphery, contributing to the ball-shape. The relationship of this stuffing-filled compartment 22B to the buddy abdomen and ball form is further illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 8. The stuffing-filled compartment 22B can be formed as an enclosed space filled with stuffing material, for example. The stuffing-filled compartment 22B forms, on a first side 22D thereof when in the buddy form, an exterior of the buddy's abdomen.

When in the ball form, a second, opposite side 22E of the stuffing-filled compartment 22B forms at exterior of the ball.

The stuffing filled compartment 22B can be stitched to sides 29 of the buddy along a stitch line 22C as shown in FIG. 8. The stitch line 22C can extend, for example, along the sides of the buddy to define the outer periphery of the stuffing-filled compartment 22B. The stitch line 22C can act like a hinge when the buddy form is converted into the ball form. Furthermore, the stitch line also contributes to the creation of a new internal compartment 28A defined by the stitch line 22C, anterior surface of the internalized surface of the stuffed abdomen compartment 22D, and side panels 29. This new internal compartment 28A is suitable for the remainder of the buddy form to compress easily. Thus without this stitch line, difficulties may be encountered when trying to convert from the buddy form to the ball form and close the ball form. With the stitch line 22C and stuffing-filled compartment 22B as described herein, the conversion from buddy form to ball form can be achieved with improved ease, making the toy of the present invention well suited for children to make the conversion by themselves.

FIGS. 5 through 8 schematically illustrate the manner in which plush toy (1) is converted from the ball configuration of FIG. 1 to the teddy bear configuration of FIGS. 4; and (2) converts to create an internal storage compartment 22A defined by the surface material 22 of the ball configuration.

First, the user operates the closure structure to separate the edges 24, 26 and thereby expose opening 28. The user moves the edges 24, 26 apart from each other, as shown by arrows 40. Simultaneously, the user applies a forward force on the rear area of plush toy that tends to force the forwardly facing internal contents of the plush toy outwardly through opening 28. In this manner, the various features making up the teddy bear begin to emerge through the opening 28, as shown in FIG. 6.

The user continues to maintain edges 24, 26 apart from each other while continuing to push the internal contents of the plush toy outwardly, as shown in FIG. 7, which causes continued outward movement of the internal features of the plush toy through the opening 28. Simultaneously, the ball configuration is progressively pushed inward through the backside of the teddy bear configuration. The surface material 22 of ball configuration lines the internal form of the teddy bear abdomen form with the creation of the enclosed space 22A noted in FIGS. 3, 4 and 8. Finally, the entire internal contents of plush toy are moved outwardly through the opening 28 so as to be fully exposed, as shown in FIG. 8. Because they are compressed when plush toy is in the ball configuration, the various features making up the teddy bear configuration of FIG. 4, such as the head 32, arms 34 and legs 35, essentially “spring” outwardly through the opening 28 during outward movement of the internal contents of the plush toy. The user then moves the edges 24, 26 back together to close the opening 28. In this manner, the edges 24, 26 are located at the back of the teddy bear configuration assumed by the plush toy. The closure structure is then operated to secure the edges 24, 26 together. These steps are reversed in order to convert plush toy from the teddy bear configuration of FIG. 4 to the ball configuration of FIGS. 1 and 2. As noted above, this conversion is assisted by the stitch line 22C that acts as a hinge-like structure between the stuffing-filled compartment 22B and the side 29 of the buddy to permit this conversion with ease. The hinge action helps create an interior space 28A for conveniently disposing of the head, arms and legs of the buddy.

Referring now to FIG. 9, in another embodiment of the present invention, in the buddy form, an identification region 90 may be present on the buddy to show the user the shape, color and/or pattern of the ball form into which the buddy may be converted. The identification region 90 may be formed, for example, on a paw 92 of the buddy 94, or on any region of the buddy that may be visible to the user when the toy is in the buddy form.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A toy comprising: an invertible body movable between a first animal configuration and a second ball configuration; an enclosed space formed in an abdomen region when the invertible body is in the first animal configuration; and a stuffing-filled compartment having a first side forming an exterior abdomen portion of the first animal configuration, the stuffing-filled compartment being pushed toward a periphery when the toy is in the second ball configuration to help form a predetermined external shape in the second ball configuration, wherein a second side of the stuffing-filled compartment, opposite the first side, forms an exterior portion of the second ball configuration.
 2. The toy of claim 1, wherein the invertible body defines first and second edges that are operable to be secured together when the body is in either the first animal configuration or the second ball configuration.
 3. The toy of claim 1, wherein the body includes appendages that are contained in an interior region of the body when the body is in the second ball configuration and that extend outwardly from the body when the body is in the first animal configuration.
 4. The toy of claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the second ball configuration forms the enclosed space in the first animal configuration.
 5. The toy of claim 1, wherein the stuffing-filled compartment is stitched at each side thereof to a side portion of the first animal configuration.
 6. The toy of claim 1, further comprising an identification portion visible when the toy is in the first animal configuration, the identification portion providing identification as to at least one of a shape, color and pattern of the toy when the toy is in the second ball configuration.
 7. A toy comprising: an invertible body movable between a first animal configuration and a second ball configuration; an opening formed in the invertible body, the opening having first and second edges that are operable to be secured together when the body is in either the first animal configuration or the second ball configuration to close the opening; an enclosed space, defined by the outer surface of the toy in the second ball configuration, in an abdomen region when the invertible body is in the first animal configuration; and a stuffing-filled compartment having a first side forming an exterior abdomen portion of the first animal configuration, the stuffing-filled compartment being pushed toward a periphery when the toy is in the second ball configuration to help form a predetermined external shape in the second ball configuration, wherein a second side of the stuffing-filled compartment, opposite the first side, forms an exterior portion of the second ball configuration.
 8. The toy of claim 7, wherein the body includes appendages that are contained in an interior region of the body when the body is in the second ball configuration and that extend outwardly from the body when the body is in the first animal configuration.
 9. The toy of claim 7, wherein the stuffing-filled compartment is stitched at each side thereof to a side portion of the first animal configuration.
 10. The toy of claim 7, further comprising an identification portion visible when the toy is in the first animal configuration, the identification portion providing identification as to at least one of a shape, color and pattern of the toy when the toy is in the second ball configuration. 